Phantom Princess
by mannequin GF
Summary: As he stood there, dumbfounded, he followed the enigmatical shadow with his crimson fiery eyes. It had long free golden brown hair that flows elegantly, waving at the twilight's breeze beautifully. Wearing a night gown, almost transparent white silhouette, it ran slowly but surely and entered the pristine clock tower. He witnessed it, the phantom princess.
1. The Phantom Princess

I disclaim Gakuen Alice.

**Primary Chapter**

**THE PHANTOM PRINCESS**

**"During the day, I don't believe in ghosts. At night, I'm a little more open-minded."**

As he stood there, dumbfounded, he followed the enigmatical shadow with his crimson fiery eyes. He did not blinked, neither did he continued to breath as if there is some obstruction in his lungs and as well as if his heart stopped beating. He keep an eye upon the shadow, scampering through the dark pathway making its way to the mysterious clock tower.

He noted it; observe its features as the planet's satellite illuminated the open space. It had long free golden brown hair that flows elegantly, waving at the twilight's breeze beautifully. Wearing a night gown, almost transparent white silhouette, it ran slowly but surely and entered the structure. He witnessed it, the phantom princess.

_**Do you know? There was a rumor about a ghost wandering at the pristine clock tower in the Southern Forest. **_

_**They said that the ghost wears a bloody and torn white dress! According to them, it kills students who dare to enter its domicile!**_

_**I heard that the ghost has scary hypnotizing eyes! If you stare at its eyes, you'll surely get hypnotized and it will make you do something horrible!**_

_**That ghost, it's creeping me up. From now on I will never dare to step my feet nor my shadow to the Southern Forest. I heard from some high school students who were conducting a research there saw the ghost with their own eyes! It even talked to them with its frightening voice!**_

_**The hair of the ghost is very long and it can tie your whole body up and then it will kill you just by glaring at you!**_

_**The phantom princess is back!**_

_"Hey, Ruka. What's with all these people?" Natsume asked his best friend, walking on the hallways of the middle school building towards the cafeteria._

_Ruka is ruffling his white bunny's puffy white fur before freeing it from him."They're talking about the ghost."_

_Natsume's eyebrow twitched. "What ghost?"_

_"You don't know about it? The whole academy's been so hooked up with the rumor for quite a time now." he said, both of them had arrived at the cafeteria and entered inside._

_Natsume lead the way and sat on their usual spot, the one closest to the door. "It's not my kind to listen to rumors." he then pulled the chair and sat onto it._

_Ruka did the same with the chair opposite to Natsume's. "I don't know, but I've seen a photograph of it from the academy's newspaper. It was blurred."_

_"And you bought it?" the raven head asked, waving at the robot chef of the cafeteria. It went to them in just a snap and got their order. "Nikujaga, Ruka?"_

_Ruka nodded. "That's fine with me. And please add some miso soup. I haven't eaten properly for days. Thanks to those fan girls." Ruka got goose bumps by the time he said fan girls._

_"And one miso soup." Natsume said to the robot then headed back to the counter. "I'll swear I'll burn that gay teacher once I laid my hands on him. So, you believed it?" he leaned his elbow to the white table cloth covering the wooden furniture and rested his chin on the palm of his hand._

_"No, I didn't." Ruka answered, flipping the napkin cloth and placing it neatly on his lap. "Speaking of that ghost, I heard it was called the phantom princess."_

_Natsume smirked. "Phantom princess, huh?"_

_Ruka shrugged. "I don't know, Natsume. That phantom princess is quite popular ever since we came here at the academy. That's why others said she was back."_

_"What are you saying?" The robot arrived having their order placed on a silver tray. It served the food with its twisters-like metallic hand to their table and nodded before it left. Natsume handed the miso soup to Ruka._

_Ruka thanked him. "According to some newspapers I read on the library, the phantom princess started to be seen a year before we enrolled in Gakuen Alice."_

_"Since when did you read a newspaper?" Natsume asked, biting some from his nikujaga. _

_"It just fell from the floor when I came there to read a zoology book." he replied._

_"Those people behind the papers were absurd. They post things that do really not exist." Natsume stated._

_Ruka just moaned and continued to eat his lunch. He noticed Natsume turned silent and seemed to be gathering his senses together. "What's wrong?" he asked him._

_Natsume got his nikujaga and stood up. "Let's go, Ruka. Those girls have found us." he whispered and started to walk away._

_"No, not again." Ruka muttered, his miso soup wasn't even moved. "I'm starving."_

_"Come on, Ruka. You can eat some later. But now we have to save ourselves."_

_"Natsume-kuuuuuuuuuun!" the girls were screaming his name. "Ruka-kuuuuuuuuuuun!" they were yelling at him._

_"Oh, shit! They're here! Hurry, Ruka!" Natsume grabbed his arm and pulled him, they ran for their lives together._

_Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi. The two most popular guys and chased by fan girls. They hated them all. But as they tell them they are not interested with girls, the more they became aggressive. If at first they only faint by the time they saw them, now they were chasing them and when they got a grip of them, they will experience hell. Uniforms were torn, hair was ruined, necks were full of kiss marks. In short, they were harassed. _

_It all started when they were forcibly joined in a stage play by Narumi Anju in their elementary days.. Of course he's a sensei, so they were quite shy to disagree. And Narumi can make people do anything he wants, because of his Human Inclination Pheromone Alice. So to save themselves from his Alice, they still joined the play even if they don't like it. That event triggered those girls to establish their own fan club and chase them everywhere they will go. They cannot eat properly, they cannot roam around alone. Their lives lost peace._

_"Wait, Natsume. I can't take it." Ruka yelled his name. They stopped running because the blonde lost energy, and his stamina is not as strong as Natsume's. He pants on his knees, sweat pouring on his forehead._

_Natsume leaned his back on a tree. "Damn. We don't deserve this. We've been running for hours."_

_Ruka chuckled at him, still on his knees. "I guess we can't do anything about it, can we?"_

_Natsume smirked and turned back, his hands on his pocket. "Come, Ruka. We have to hide." he said, started to take a step. When he had few steps from the tree he leaned earlier, he heard Ruka yell._

_"Natsume!" _

_The fire caster looked back, eyes dilated and worried. "Ruka!" he called him. The fan girls caught him! He can see how aggressive they were as they grip on Ruka's uniform and started to play tug of war with Ruka as the rope. He was angry, but Ruka told him he can handle everything and he must run for himself._

_"Don't worry about me! Run!" Ruka yelled, he started to activate his alice and then bats started to fly towards him, but before those bats reached his place to scare all those fan girls away he fainted because of hunger and tiredness._

_Natsume run until he can't feel his feet. It was already dark, the moon had already appeared and the stars began to fill the sky. He found himself panting in the middle of the forest. He wonders what forest he'd been, Northern? No, he didn't saw Mr. Bear's cottage in there. Western? No, not at all. He didn't pass through the Central Town. How about the Eastern woods? Never, he is still forbidden to enter the high school vicinity and he came from there._

_There's one choice left, he's inside the Southern Woods. What? Is he feeling somewhat afraid with the rumors spreading in the Southern Forest? Is the cold breeze adding to the creeps? Of course not, he is Natsume after all. _

_But there is something wrong with this forest. It's too silent here. Too quiet that it can break you're tympanic. The phantom princess entered the fire caster's mind, he created an image of her with the ideas he gathered with the gossips he heard. He walked more, not out of the forest but deeper. He saw a pebble, and played with it. He continuously kicks it in every direction it goes, just following the direction it will give him._

_He kicked it again, it went to the left. He kicked it once more, and it went straight. Again and again. The clouds suddenly covered the moon, darkness ate the whole area. He stopped moving. Natsume gathered all his senses and feel his surroundings. _

_Swish! He felt something moved there. He turned to it, lit his hand with a fire for a guide. As Natsume's fire began to gloom in the dark, he continued to kick the pebble for one last time. He searched for it, and was about to pick it up when his fire suddenly went gone. Gone with a flash of wind, a wind or not, whatever it is. He felt chills, quickly electrified his spine._

_He stood straight, the cloud was almost over the moon, and it made him see a bit rather than before. He saw the clock tower, old and pristine. He looked up to see the whole structure. But his crimson eyes were snatched by a moving shadow._

_He was dumbfounded; he followed the enigmatical shadow with his eyes. He did not blinked as his eyes were directed to the shadow alone, his breathing stopped as well as his heart beat. He keep an eye upon the shadow, scampering through the dark pathway making its way to the mysterious clock tower. Is it just himself? Is she panting, she pant so loud. Never did he encounter a ghost that throbs, and wait. Is she running? If she's really a ghost, she would have flown instead._

_He noted it, observed its features as the planet's satellite illuminated the open space, the cloud finally left the moon making him see the supposed to be ghost a bit clearly. It had long free golden brown hair that flows elegantly, waving at the twilight's breeze beautifully. Wearing a night gown, almost transparent white silhouette, it ran slowly but surely and entered the structure. He witnessed it, the phantom princess._

The phantom princess opened the clock tower's door with ease, as if she owns the structure and had her own key for it. He's not sure if she saw him, but he's definitely sure he saw her. Natsume didn't waste a second; he made his way towards the tower. He didn't care if she really kills and harms people. But one thing was for sure with what he witnessed. That phantom princess is not a ghost.

He touched the carvings on the large wooden door. It really is old base on the dull color of the wood itself and the rust on the metal knockers. He grabbed the knocker, but it moved open. The phantom princess must've left it open.

"What am I doing." he muttered softly to himself, letting the metal thing from his hand.

THUD. He heard something inside. It triggered him to unawarely open the door and peeked inside. The door cracked open, sounds were created and he waited for something to happen. To his fortune, nothing occurred.

He made a small fireball and makes it fly before him. Natsume searched for a light switch, but he found nothing. A gust of wind startled him, and the fire went null and disappeared once again.

"Who's there?" Natsume asked in the middle of the pitch dark tower. No one replied. He then made another ball of fire before anything will make him trip on his feet. He waited for his fire to disappear again but nothing like that happened until he found book racks. Lots of book racks, big and wide wooden book racks.

The fire caster walked closer to the racks, seeing they're all filled with different categories and colors of books, various sizes and topics. He got one, a dusty red big book. He brought his fire to him, letting him see the title. But it was a surprise, there's no title carved on the cover of the book. He opened it, the first, second and the succeeding pages were all blank. No ink can be seen there, no letters and images printed inside.

He continued to flip some pages, and to his surprise something glowing flew from one of its pages. He groaned, pocketed his hands and followed the glowing thing. It flew like it has its own mind making him go after it and dragged him to the stairs. He hesitated to take the step at first, but he heard a sniff from up. It made him feel so curious that he almost ran to reach the peak.

"These stairs seems endless." he talked to himself again. He's been climbing for five minutes but he was still far from the peak.

Suddenly, when he's halfway there the glowing light vanished and was liquefied. It ended up falling like speck of glitters and fully disappeared in the air.

What does it want to tell to him? To continue climbing or to back out? But he is Natsume, and Natsume never backed out from anything. He snickered and climbed faster until he was a step farther from his destination.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" he said, quite frustrated. He scanned the area, it looked like an attic. An empty attic with large windows that lights up half of the territory. He searched for any suspicious object, but it was real empty. Only rugged linoleum and spider webs on the corner of the roof. He wonders where does the sound he was hearing came from, and where does the phantom princess went.

He muttered a "Hn." and turned around to the stairs, but his crimson eyes went wide as a face booed in front of him. He almost screamed, but a Hyuuga never screams. He jumped back and aimed the figure a fire, but by the time it landed on the unknown image his fire Alice was distinguished.

"Huh? How did it…" he said. The figure began to move near him, walking slowly out from the dark shadows, nearer to him. "Hey, don't come near me." Natsume warned, taking a step back for her every step forward. But she didn't stop.

He saw feet, real small but dirty and muddy feet. As the figure went closer, the moon's shine illuminated it's features from toes to head. He cannot believe his eyes, it's the phantom princess. The white night gown and her long golden brown hair.

"Ta..su..ke t..te.." she hardly muttered and lost consciousness.

Natsume caught her before she fell from the ground, swiftly carried her head on his lap. The light of the moon gleamed at them, dramatically creating a spotlight like radiance coming from the broken windows of the attic. He observed her features as he parted strands of stray hair on her face to free. He looked at her with amazement in his eyes.

This phantom princess is not as scary as what he heard from the rumors and gossips. Her face is just dirty because of some mud on her cheeks and on her forehead. He scanned her closed eyelids that he suspects covers a big pair of eyeballs. (A/N: Eyeballs really don't vary because they are same in the aspect of size. Eyes just look big or small because of the eyelids.) His sight then went to her cracked and pale thin lips. Neither her clothes were torn nor bloody, but just like her face, was full of dirt and mud. Before anything else will happen, Natsume held her shoulders and shook her gently to bring her consciousness back. The infamous phantom princess slowly opened her eyes, showing her big hazel orbs and blinking it for several times. All she can see is blurry red.

The fire caster felt something wrong with these hazel colored eyes, they were like drowning him to the unconscious world hypnotizing him by gazing at them. But as soon as he got his senses back, he quickly moved away from her and gave her a don't-come-near-me expression.

She moaned, putting her hand on her temporal while the other helped her rise to sit. "Who are you?" she asked the young lad posing a defense in front about some inches away.

Natsume didn't answer and instead asked her the same question too. He used a colder and deeper voice to hide his uncomfortable feeling.

She moaned for the last time, still blinking her eyes to clear her sight. And then she narrowed her eyes, trying to know him but she didn't. "How did you find this place? Did you follow me?" she asked while crawling closer to him with her knees and palms.

Natsume can't speak, instead he moved back every time she takes an inch closer to him. He can't stand up without a reason of knowing why, Natsume remained on his butt moving away until his back is bumped on the wall.

"People like you should not be here. " she muttered, climbing up to him and sniffing him like a dog.

"Go away!" Natsume shouted, pushing her towards the location she came from. He activated his Alice, making another fireball in his palm. He warned her not to move, but the phantom princess didn't mind and still she crawl back to him and stopped by the time she was just an inch closer to him. She sat in front of him with her butt on her feet, a proper sitting manner like every girl does.

She positioned her hand beside the fireball and cut the fire into half before it disappeared. "Please, don't burn this place. This is my home." she said and then scratched her face with the same hand because she felt itchy with the mud. Her face became reddish in an instant, letting Natsume know she had sensitive skin.

"Hey stop it. You're hurting yourself." Natsume said to her, reaching for her hand and stopping her from scratching her face.

_He touched me. _The phantom princess blushed as her cheeks reddened. She stared at him with her sparkling orbs.

"What are you looking at, phantom princess?" Natsume asked, noticing the sticky gaze she is giving him. _Her eyes were beautiful; it's so big that it's like eating me up._

The phantom princess gave him a confused expression, putting her finger under her lip and said, "Huh? Who's phantom princess?"

Natsume sighed. _So she didn't know she was called phantom princess by the students in the academy. Probably she doesn't know that she's on the headline of the school paper these past few days. Maybe, she didn't know too that she had a bad image. She's known to be a killer, a phantom, a ghost. I knew it, all those rumors were all fake. And I am right, this girl isn't a ghost. How come she could be ghost if she almost bleeds when she scratched her face? And if she's a ghost, I should've can't touch her because she is supposed to be a spirit._

"Nevermind. Who are you by the way?" he asked, he became a lot easy after knowing the truth.

She was star strucked by the question.

_**Hime, promise me you will not leave the clock tower. Don't let anyone know who you are and you exists. I have swore to your parents I will protect their child. I know you deserve to live like a normal person. But your life is so special. You are special. So please don't ever let us worry. There will come a time that you will be free to explore the world and it's people. But this is not the right time.**_

"Uhm, my..." she was stuttering and fidgeting. Her eyes scanned all through the area and she saw a polka dot printed linoleum of the floor. "Polka dots." she said, and smiled uneasily at him.

Natsume lift a brow. "I don't ask for the print of the floor. I'm asking your name." he said.

The phantom princess began to sweat and kept pinning her stray golden brown hair off her face. Her hair is too long, she haven't got any hair cut since birth. "Uhm..."

Natsume waited for an answer. And he waited until he can no longer take it. "Hey, what now?" he asked her with a quite tone.

She was startled; her heart beat went fast because of the sudden noise. "You're the first person to step here, here in the clock tower. You're also the first one who came this near to me. You didn't scream at my face like everybody did, and I am glad you didn't. Because when someone like you sees me, they were screaming and then scurrying away. I don't know why they act to me like that. I don't even done anything wrong to them, anything at all. And you're the first person who touched me."

His eyebrows met. "So?"

She looked at him with soulful eyes. It was like pleading him not to hurt her, to feed her because she's starving. "Can you promise me you won't tell anybody, I mean everybody, every single person you know, your friends your sisters your brothers if had one, sensei or even to a non living thing, that you saw me? That you met me? That you talked to me? That you touched me? Promise me you will never speak about me, about my existence."

Natsume just nodded. He was surprised how talkative this ghost was.

She gave her a nice smile. "Well then, I suppose you should take an oath to Luna."

He twitched his brows. _Is this girl normal? _"Who's Luna?"

She pointed something behind him that he quickly turned at to. He saw the moon, and then realized that the Earth's satellite, the moon is also Luna. He slapped his head mentally. How could he be that idiot?

"Follow me, okay?" she said cheerfully. Then whispered something at him. "I made this oath myself, I don't really know why did I because I don't know where will I use it. But now I do."

Natsume rolled his eyes. Baka girl. "Fine."

"Now raise your left pinky."

"What?"

"I said raise your left pinky." she even demonstrated it to him. "Like this."

Natsume rolled his eyes again, sighing. "I know, I know." he then followed her.

"Say after me." she cleared her throat. "Luna san, I am here in front of you…with my pinky." he almost cracked a laugh at this, but maintained his composure. He followed everything she said. "I do solemnly swear that I will not say to anybody or anything, that I witnessed…uhm…" _I cannot say my name until we finished the oath. _"That I witnessed the girl with long brown hair and uhm, white dress today. I will never speak to anybody about her and will keep everything a secret forever." she said.

"I swear by Luna the moon, the comets and the constellations present this time, that I will always keep this oath in mind never taking it for granted. With my life I owe you now, I am finishing this oath with a kiss." she giggled.

Natsume was surprised after saying the last word. "What? A kiss?" he asked to her in disbelief.

"Yup."

"Do you know what a kiss was?"

She giggled again, what a cute. "Of course I do. Someone told me a kiss is a promise of everything. Enveloped with it is your trust, faith and your words." she said it plainly.

The phantom princess defined it very well. But a kiss is not executed with two people who just met within an hour. It is not made with two people who were merely, still a stranger to each other. A kiss was done to someone you love. And, yes a kiss envelopes trust, faith and words but not exactly an oath. Those were all pertaining to someone you love a promise of everything you have been through but not a promise of a pinky to Luna.

She had misunderstood it all.

Natsume sighed once again. "I don't think we can kiss."

"Huh? Why not? The oath can't be done without it. And you have said it already." she whined.

"Ugh, how did I let myself be in this kind of situation." he fondled his temples but was startled when the phantom princess already got her lips on his cheek. He feels his blood rise to his cheeks and found them blushing already. She moved away quickly, she just gave him a smack.

"There! We're done!" she said, giggling. She looked like a kid but cute while giggling sweetly. A dense and innocent girl.

Natsume almost stopped breathing but regained his composure. He wiped the kiss with his hand harshly to erase the kiss totally. "Did I permit you to do that?" he glared at her.

"Yes, you did. When you finished the oath."

Natsume smirked. "Silly girl." he muttered. "Natsume. Natsume Hyuuga."

She offered her hand to him. "I'm Mikan." she stopped. "Mikan…S-Sakura." she said.

* * *

Dear Readers;

mannequin GF is a slow updater so please do forgive. hehe

mannequin GF has a disorder. I never finished any stories before.

Haha. But i promise i'll do everything to finish this one. My first fanfic.

Enjoy. Stay Tune. Review.

:):):)

let me know if the first chapter passed. XD


	2. Chapter 2

I disclaim Gakuen Alice.

**THE SECOND CHAPTER**

**THE MYSTERY UNVEILS THE HALF**

**"The sweetest smiles hold the darkest secrets..." **  
**― Sara Shepard**

A week had passed. Its been seven days since Ruka was appointed to the school clinic and is still checked in.

Natsume is still blaming himself for leaving his best friend alone with all those dangerous girls and let him be an alternative rope for their little game. After all he can strangle all of them with his own strength or for better suggestion, to burn them completely. But he has a reason why he can't lay a finger on them. Everything he does have a reason. Yet, Natsume visits him everyday to see his health status and to give his best friend lectures and notes for each lessons he missed. Don't get him wrong, for the school works were not from him. They were from Yuu Tobita, their class representative. The guy had been in the position for years, given that Yuu really liked the job.

Natsume never jots down notes nor listens to the teacher. He is a natural class ditcher, an ignorant student. He can survive without listening to the class because of the simple fact he is born with high IQ level. To compare, he is more intelligent than anybody else in the class, its just that he don't took his studies seriously.

What Natsume hates the most among his subjects is literature; those deep words, metaphors, idioms and the like. He is complaining with himself about why does literature authors have to put complicated words on their pieces which just makes them hard to understand. It's not like Natsume can't comprehend, but somehow he had a point on them making the readers a hard time to understand their works. He doesn't even know why does he needs to study such.

Opposite to that of his best friend, Ruka cares a lot for both of their grades. To get to the point, Ruka cares for Natsume's moral character reference. Every students, even those in Alice Academy, need a certificate of good moral character to be able to graduate in the department. And since everybody knows that Natsume Hyuuga doesn't have "good" manners, his certificate might fall off a cliff. He's been reported to burn several fan girl's hair and other school's equipments, wrecked walls and ditches class. And not to consider, his latest offense, he entered the clock tower which was listed as a restricted area. Just a few more offense and he'd be commended to fail and remain in the middle school department for another school year, even if he can control his alice superbly.

"Here." Natsume placed the papers and workbooks from Yuu to the table beside Ruka's bed. He stayed on his feet while his arms crossed over his built chest.

"Thank you, Natsume." Ruka responded, laying half seated on the bed with a pillow supporting his back.

"How long are you planning to lay there?" he sarcastically said, giving him a familiar expression that he was used to see on him. Ruka cracked a manly chuckle, getting what he wanted to say to him. "Girls aren't allowed here, so I can't blame you."

"You can check in if you want." he replied back.

The middle school infirmary had two rooms, located at the opposite sides of the second floor of the middle school building. One for boys and the other one is for girls so basically, the opposite gender cannot come inside without permission. The patient can limit those who can visit him, and being in the clinic without the existence of those fan girls is the greatest way to have the peace in life Natsume and Ruka deserves.

"I'm going out tomorrow." Ruka murmured.

Natsume turned his back, aiming to the door. "Great. So you can cover for me for tomorrow's class."

"Natsume!" Ruka exclaimed. "Don't say you're going to skip Literature again?"

He just shrugged, pocketing his hands as usual then started to walk his way. "Well…yeah."

"But you're…"

"Shh!" Natsume said, stopping Ruka from continuing his sentence. "Don't worry too much, Ruka." he stated, reaching for the metal knob of the glass door and pushing it to make his way out of the infirmary.

Ruka sighed, muttering. "Ugh. Same old Natsume."

A week had passed. Seven days since he met her. Less than a hundred sixty eight hours since he left the pristine tower and never came back. He didn't attempted to enter the tower again not because he is scared, but he just don't feel like it. After the night of him meeting her, the rumor about the phantom princess suddenly disappeared like it doesn't existed. He was quite doubting. She is a living mystery, one that he wanted to reveal by himself.

He remembered everything that happened that night while walking to the length of the corridor. Her lucid image crept into his mind. Her small feet, her muddy dress, her long golden brown hair up to her dirty face, pale thin lips and amazing amber eyes. He suddenly got goose bumps that he immediately tried to calm. He continued to play back his memory. From the oath until his first kiss. It was not a very big deal though. Natsume tried considered it nonsense, something like a kid just smacked at his cheek. But he can't remove the fact that he felt elated for it. He shook at his own thoughts.

What about if he go at South later after class? Or much better, to go there right now and skip class? The latter do sounds good to his ears. Smirking, Natsume turned around and walk to a different direction instead of the way to his classroom. Somehow he feels lucky that Ruka is not with him so no one could stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He can understand his best friend of course, but he just can't live without breaking a rule.

The fire caster sighed. It was like he was surprised at what he was thinking. The whole thing just came into his mind and he feels that he was tied in there and now he was being pulled, telling him to go there again.

Wandering inside a not-so-familiar forest is not easy. If you don't know which way to go, you'll definitely get lost. But it's seems that he knew the woods so well that he had arrived at his destination in just one try. He didn't played with a pebble or anything, but his own feet appeared like they have their own brains. He stood in front of the large and old wooden door for the second time around.

Enter. It's seems like someone whispered a word to him that triggered him to open the door and took steps right in. After he opened the door, he saw a very different clock tower from the one that he saw before. The light engulfed the whole place allowing him to see how pleasant it was in the eyes. It was a nice view to see large wooden racks of books which when he first saw had dull colored books but now, radiant and new looking ones. The stairs were still the same, long and tiring to climb. But even so, he still climbed up hoping to see a figure he came there for.

Panting he is after covering up three fourths of the length of the stairs. His sweat drips from his forehead even so winter is approaching. Natsume wiped all of them, and continued his way. After some time he was already at the peak. Five more steps he can step on the flooring. Five, four, three, two and one. He scanned to the left, seeing nothing. He scanned to the middle, found no one. But when his eyes laid to the right, his heart beat faster as he saw a brunette laying unconsciously at the floor!

He scurried to the laying figure, she was like murdered with her position. Her long golden brown face scattered at every sides of her face and all around her. Body resting sideways with hands lamely fell half clenched on the floor. Knees were pretty bent and back slightly curved. She was still her since they first met. With the dirty white night gown, muddy skin and barefooted. She was like a corpse if you will see her now, for her skin is pale and as well as her lips. Closed eyelids and partly opened mouth. A transparent liquid was even seen leaking from her oral cavity! Or was it from somewhere else?

Natsume went closer to her, face still calmed and stoic even if inside he feels like worried. He poked her with his foot. She didn't moved. Is she dead already? He pushed her harder with his feet, making her turn to her other side. Still, she didn't respond. Shit, she's dead. Natsume bent down to her level, grabbed her shoulders and began to shake it harshly, fast and without any mercy. All to wake her up.

"U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U" came from her mouth as she began to open her eyes.

Natsume let go of her and pushed her away. "I thought you're dead."

"Awww." she moaned, slowly got up with her hand supported her to sit and the other caressed her shoulder. "You shouldn't have to shake me like that. You almost broke my bones!"

Natsume stood up, scanned her from her face up to her head. Nothing really changed from last week he first saw her. Even her dress is still as it was. He felt pretty disgusted at the idea which popped in his mind that maybe this girl is…not taking a bath.

"What?" she asked, noticing he stares at her for a while now.

"What exactly are you doing earlier?" he barked at her whose still sitting at the floor.

"I'm sleeping, isn't it obvious?" she replied, trying to get up but her knees became wobbly at the moment. The reason she lost balance and was about to fall. But she was quickly caught by the fire caster. For the how many times, they shared skin contact again. For some reason they liked it, but for some reason they wanted to separate as soon as possible.

"And what is that liquid on the floor? Is that…" Natsume glared at the mysterious transparent fluid on the floor.

The raven head's eyebrows suddenly met, as he began to feel awkward with what he said. He should've hurt her or bringing the liquid into their conversation which he suspects were saliva made her embarrassed. The phantom princess became quiet as her head lowered right after what he said. Some of her hair followed and now her face was covered again with it. He stared at her, didn't know what to say. Should he apologize? Say sorry? But…Natsume never said sorry to anyone before, even to Ruka. The word does not exists into his pool of vocabularies.

She sniffed, and he heard it. The next thing she did was she motioned her arm and scrubbed her face with it. He can't actually see it, but he's quite sure she's wiping of something from her eyes. Then she sniffed more which made him irritated because he feels guilt. What is with her now?

"Hey, what's happening?" he said with cold and emotionless tone. He never wanted to sound so concerned since Natsume is ignorant to people's emotions.

She didn't replied but instead, she stopped sniffing but the wiping motion continued. Is she crying? Natsume bent down again, glared at her face which is still covered with her hair. He is pissed. He grabbed the arm she is using to wipe her face and forced to stop. He gave his strength to pull her hand away and he succeeded. Natsume then parted her hair off her face, and was surprised at her swollen cheeks and reddish eyes.

He stared at her with confusion. She gave her a woo-me look.

"Those are not from my mouth." she stuttered.

Yes, he had seen so many girls cry because of him way back then. He had seen so many swollen eyes and puffy cheeks that pleaded him to stay, to say to them what they wanted to hear. But for some explainable and expected reasons he ignored them all. He didn't told them to cry because of him. Natsume didn't commanded them to fall in love with him. He's not at fault why they cried. And for Kami's Sake, he never wanted any girls to love him. He did not dreamed to be chased.

Natsume became speechless. He don't know what to say or what to do. For once again, he was strucked by the phantom princess. She breathed in, and gave the young lad a nice smile to ease the tension between the both of them. She knew that she startled him with this act of hers. And basically, it is not his fault why her tears became active for all of a sudden. She admits, she's a cry baby. She had no tough intolerance in crying but she had a great and strong personality.

"I'm so sorry you have to see me like this." her smile faded and wiped her eyes for the last time. "I-I..I just thought you have forgotten about me." she giggled.

He stood up quickly and take a step back. "Don't say…you waited…"

She stood up too, dusted her dress and cleared her face. "Yes, I did."

"You're crazy." he said.

"No, I'm not." she defended.

"Have you eaten?" he asked. She shook. "Have you taken a bath?" She shook. "Have you changed clothes?" She shook. "Do you even have clothes?" Oh, getting concerned now, are we?

She chuckled. "What kind of question was that? Of course I do."

"Jeez." he covered his nose with his palm. "You smell already. Look at you. You're like a rug. And you're ugly."

She was quite shocked on the offending words that came out from his mouth. "Really?" she scanned herself. She twiddled the fingers of her toes, checked her dress, sniffed her skin, and her hair. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I have never done all of those just for this day."

"Then why are you still dirty and why are you still wearing the same dress?"

She giggled. "I'll explain later. Would you like to come with me to my house?"

He gave her a confused look. "I thought this was your house?" he could still remember the time when he used his alice to threaten her from the night they met and she said Please, don't burn this place. This is my home.

"Yes. I considered this as my house because I am always staying here, but I do have my own house at the other end of the Southern Forest." she explained. "So, are you coming?"

He just shrugged and started his way down by taking steps from the stairs. But when he have already started to climb down, he noticed that the phantom princess is not moving a foot. "What? Do you expect to get down by just staring at the stairs?"

She shook. "No, But we can teleport the way down."

Natsume gave her a what face.

"Yes, teleport." she went to him and take the steps which he had taken earlier then held his hand. At first he was hesitating. He is not used to his hand getting held by other person. So he pushed her hand away.

"Do you really need to touch me?"

She chuckled and retrieved his hands abruptly. "Of course. Teleport will not work if i don't have any contact with you. Come on, I'll teleport us down."

* * *

"Why don't we teleport to your house directly?" Natsume complained, tired and dizzy.

"I want you to know how to get to my home when you want to visit me." the lady before him said.

"I can visit you at the tower. Since you're always hanging out there." Natsume was kind of surprised with what he said. _What visit are you saying!? Don't tell you have plans of visiting again?!_

She moaned. "No, I am not at the tower at all times. I have my schedule for going there. It stands as my school."

Natsume's eyebrow met. "Na? You said it's your home, then you're saying its your school." he muttered a "Hn." and spoke once again. "You're so confusing. Are you sure you're normal?"

Not in a minute, Natsume and the phantom princess appeared in front of a big hedge maze. A hedge maze is an outdoor garden maze or labyrinth in which the walls or dividers between passages are made of vertical hedges. The maze was made to confuse people so they wouldn't be able to reach a very private or restricted area. The maze looks like those that can be found in Egeskov, Denmark. It is square, big and has a space inside. And that space contains the phantom princess' house. The hedge maze is really difficult to enter and solve for it needs special alice to get to the middle.

"Ne, my home stands at the middle of this maze." The phantom princess said, hoping to kill the silence between them. They didn't talk to each other after they began to enter the maze. The fire caster did not respond to what she said. He just continued to follow her with where will she go. She waited for him to talk but her hope just died.

_Nah, this guy is ignorant. I never met such. My onii-sans were a lot different from him. They were all gentlemen, talkative and fun to be with. I am not saying he is not fun to be with, but he doesn't talk too much. I wonder if he kept his promise? The one we swore about that night. He should better be, because I made that oath when I was just a kid. Though like I told him, I don't know why did I made it. _

_Natsume Hyuuga. I really don't know anything about him. I only met him last week, and maybe that is the reason why he does not talk to me that much. I really do understand, he might be uncomfortable being with me. And worst, he mustn't have trusts me. But still, he is with me right now. I waited him to come back and i thought he won't but look, we're now together._

_This guy with cool raven hair and hot crimson eyes, I wonder what kind of person he is. Does he have a lot of friends at school? Nah, I doubt. But I can tell, he is kind. He didn't done anything bad to me at all. And I hope he wouldn't in the future. I am just so thankful he doesn't hurt me or shout at me like those students I met when I am roaming outside._

_I know I am barred to roam and that was the first time I broke the rules given to me by my onii-sans and to the princess shrine. I just can't help it, I wanted to have a glimpse of students in the academy. But I didn't expected they will be so harsh on me given I didn't do anything bad to them. Ugh. Even so, I am happy I gained a friend._

The phantom princess stopped in an edge, making Natsume asked her if she really knew where her house is. This made her laugh and made Natsume insulted. Then she explained to him that there is really no path that will direct them to the place. She said that every turns were all dead end. But this one that they ended up had a secret button, that no one can ever activate if they are not given a key.

"What are you talking about, Polka Dots?" Natsume said, using the first name she gave him instead of her real name. He just find it too awkward to call her Mikan and he does not have a reason of knowing why.

It really didn't bother her if he called her that, because she was at fault why is he calling her that name now. For some reason she felt stupid and just let it out with a chuckle. But she insisted he should call her on her real name.

"Give me your hand." she told him, laying hers and offered it to him.

He raised a brow, kind of wondering. _What's with the hands? She likes getting skin contact._ He halfheartedly gave his hand, actually his index finger.

"Are you ready?" she said cheerfully with her dirty figure.

He rolled an eye and nod. In a blink of an eye, they were already in front of a white painted house with pink linings. It was small and has two floors. It has a balcony on both of the floors, but the ground floor was bigger. It looks like a gigantic doll house, clean and green. **Not like the owner**, he muttered to himself. It's base is wood, only painted white. The screen door can be seen, with a nice an puffy mat before. There is also a rocking chair beside the door, with several pots of green and non flowering plants. Those flowering were placed at the second floor's balcony, he saw as he looked curtains, almost alike with what she wears, can also be seen flapping with the cool wind surrounding the area. It will surely look nice inside.

"Hey." he poked her, staring at her house just like what he does earlier. She turned to him with a small smile plastered at her face. "Did you use teleportation?"

She shook innocently. "I didn't."

He was amused. If she did not, then what did she use? Does she have other alice besides teleportation? Who is this girl?

"Look, I'll explain later. I'll explain why I am always dirty, I'll explain how can I teleport, how can I distinguish your fire, and anything else. But we should make another oath before I tell you something confidential. Bear with me, okay?" she giggled as she stepped on the two ladders on her way to the door of her own little home.

"Wanted to explain also about yourself? About who you are? Why are you kept hidden?" he said.

She halfheartedly nodded, not sure if she will really say those things to her.

He entered inside. Slowly stepping with his feet consecutively. A very nice and refreshing ambiance surprised him. There weren't lots of furniture in there. Only a pair of white sofa and a mirror table with a flower vase with nice oink carnation flowers standing in the middle. There were no any other decorations. No picture frames, no paintings, no hanging decorations found but a piece of clock. He looked up to the ceiling and found a ceiling fan and pair of light bulbs. He looked around, and found the stairs for the way to the second floor. Looking to the other sides he saw a door, maybe a way to the kitchen or anything.

"I'm just going to...take a bath." Mikan bid to him and made him sat into one of those sofas. Then she scurried up, yep to take her bath. The second floor must have her room.

He just can't sit there and do nothing. He's a easy bored type of person. If you add it to a rule breaker, the result would be defintely: he would roam around the house to entertain himself. He did not waste any time and stood up, went to the mysterious door he saw earlier. He wanted to know what room could that door have behind. As he got there he grabbed the knob and turned it open. It clicked and he pushed it. He expected it to hide a kitchen, but he's totally wrong. It leads to the outside.

"Hmm. No kitchen." he muttered. He pocketed his hands and started to take the stairs. The stairs weren't that long like at the clock tower and he thanked for it mentally. Then, he found there the balcony, and two doors. One fourth of the second floor was occupied by the balcony, the other one fourths was occupied by a small room with a label "Occupied". He suspects it was the bathroom because besides the label, he can hear rustles of running water from the outside. And the other half might be her real bedroom.

Natsume tried to open her bedroom, but failed. "I never thought she knew how to lock a door." he smirked with himself and just went down and outside, rode the rocking chair. Without ten minutes, the phantom princess showed before him and how he was starstrucked with her appearance. Well, the dress isn't new but it was clean. Her hair was still looking like uncombed and feet still bare. But her skin do look nice, especially with that of her face.

"Clean now, aren't we?" he said.

She just nodded and came closer to him. A moment of silence engulfed the both of them until HE decided to broke it.

"So, you said you're going to tell me everything."

Mikan was surprised, she didn't said she will tell him about her EVERYTHING. But she smiled instead, and sat onto the floor. He did not object, he let her sat on the floor while he occupy the chair. Very typical of him.

"We should execute the oath first." she muttered in her knees.

The surroundings became much colder than before since winter is near approaching and it's getting dark as the sun was setting and the sky was painted mixed colors of orange, yellow, blue and a bit of purple. The breeze is getting active too and harsh to the skin. Mikan is getting cold and began to hug herself. As of Natsume, cold weather isn't a problem to him since his fire alice can warm his body up. Noticing the shivering brunette sitting beside and lower to him, he rolled an eye.

"You're shivering yet you still talk about your oath." he said and looked opposite to her, then smirked. "We can do it later, when she appears." Mikan looked to him with her ever huge eyes, a smile was ominous in her face. She knows that it was Luna he was talking about. And she's glad he is still willing to do the oath with her. The two of them enjoyed the silence together and waited for the moon to show up. With a cute smile on Mikan's face and a smirk for Natsume, the latter looked at his right, directing to the grassy ground and Mikan gazing in her twiddling feet. Natsume secretly activated his alice, emitting a nice radiation of heat and gave it to the phantom princess. She was aware, and he was willing.

* * *

Dear Readers;

Sorry for the long wait. But like what I said, I'm a slow updater. :) So please bear with me.

I'm apologizing for not meeting my quota which is supposed be to finished until chapter three. It's just that this week is Pharmacy Week and I got busy for it. The same as the project that should be passed next week. And for the pageant of course. I was so busy cheering for my crush, MR. MIAL (it's his initials!) hehe. I'm so grateful he won 2nd runner up for Mr. Pharmacy...I cheered a lot and my voice got damaged, but its worth it. I even got two photographs with him. I'm so overwhelmed.

Ehem. I'm sorry. I got carried away.

So, how about reviewing this chapter? What do you think?.

Some readers want it long and I kinda seem of like making it long. Hehe.

It's okay if you're not satisfied, but i'd be happy to read praises for i really did my best for this chapter. Yeah yeah i know there's still a lot of questions for here, that's gotta be answered in chap three which i suppose to be posted for a week or two..or maybe three.

Gotta go. Bye-bye!

And thank you for your support! For reading this fic and for reviewing. Please do review, kay?

I'm sorry again. If this chapter doesn't seem nice as what i have in chapter one, it's fine. Just tell me and i'll do something about it.

Please no Flames! I'm emotional at the moment because I'm a bit of brokenhearted. Well, it was from MR. MIAL since i accepted he will never notice me. Huhu. Sorry, i got carried away again. It's just that...okay, that's enough. heheh

Take care guys. love ya'll.


	3. The legend was true

I disclaim Gakuen Alice.

**THE THIRD CHAPTER**

**THE LEGEND IS TRUE**

"Why are you letting someone discover her?" Kuonji asked the Middle School Principal who is just sitting beside him in just few inches away. They can clearly see the brunette and the raven haired through a mirror like object resting in front of them inside a restricted room in the Hanahime Mansion.

"Because they **are **meant to meet each other." she simply said with a composed and confident tone.

"Look at her. She will spill it all out and its fine with you?" disbelief is evident in this matured young man. "You hid her for fourteen years, Hi-sama."

"Yes." Himemiya told him. "In that way, Hyuuga-kun will develop a relationship with her. And with that, they will both make the prophecy happen. Like the prophecy told me, they will bound to meet each other more than a decade."

"I can't believe you are letting this." he muttered with clenched fists. Obviously, he did not want Mikan and Natsume to know each other because of the simple fact that he doesn't want the stupid prophecy to happen.

Actually, he did not know what is the exact prophecy. For a reason, it was only Himemiya who is able to communicate to it. It was only the Princess Shrine who was able to know what will happen to the future.

She reached for her fan with her right hand after taking a sip from a nice hot cup of tea and bringing it back from the table. Clearing her throat in a very elegant manner, she replied with the young pitch haired man sitting beside her. "I am not doing anything. It's the prophecy who's taking its step." Her lip curved into a grin.

Kuonji gritted his teeth but did not let Himemiya witness it. "A life will be taken if we didn't stop the prophecy. I know you cannot swallow it and I don't seem to understand why you are doing nothing. "

The grin disappeared. Himemiya's expression turned into a serious one. "I am against this, you are aware of that. Why would I want her being killed?" she sighed and continued. "I don't like to witness another person to die just because of a responsibility she had to handle. Especially for someone like Mikan-chan, whom I treated as my own daughter. But **she **wanted this. She wanted to continue what her mother left her. You knew that because you were there when she decided."

"I can't see a point why they have to end the inheritance. People like her should be rather preserved with the power she possesses. Tell me more of what the prophecy told you." Kuonji demanded as he kept his husky voice. Unfortunately for him, it was only Himemiya who is allowed to witness the prophecy. Even if he tried to sneak in, he won't get any clue for he was barred to know it. He isn't able to hear it; he wasn't able to see it.

She closed her eyes and grinned once again. "I'm afraid I cannot. Keep your patience, Kuonji. Let the prophecy work itself and we'll all be relieved."

Silence engulfed the both of the principals before Kuonji turned around – quite pissed –, preparing to leave. With his eyes closed, he took a few steps away and left the High School Principal a message which he knows she doesn't want to hear. "You can always change your mind. We all know the prophecy can be changed if we took a step for it."

The Princess Shrine wasn't affected by his statement. In actuality, she was already expecting that from his mouth. She was just riding with him. If she was to be asked, she can reveal the whole prophecy with him. But she was not able to.

Himemiya arranged her purple Yokata, taking all the drops of tea left in the cup. While doing so, she thought of the prophecy. On how Mikan, despite of her age, was already given a very big responsibility. She closed her eyes and controlled the emotion that creeps into her.

The brunette isn't just a somebody to her. Like she said, Mikan is like her own daughter. This happened because Azumi Yuka and Izumi Yukihira wasn't able to be a parent to the poor girl and she was favored to take care of her. Right after Mikan was given birth, Yuka died. And not long enough, Izumi followed her in the afterlife.

Both of them don't have any biological disease, neither were they murdered by people jealous of the power Yuka had.

But what killed both of them was the Alice Yuka had.

Azumi Yuka was a very close friend of Himemiya. In fact, they were like best friends. With this, Himemiya was bound to know every secret Yuka had. And one of it was her responsibility: to end the inheritance of their family's Alice. But obviously, she wasn't successful for she gave birth to Mikan who inherited the Alice.

Because of this, the Alice went berserk and killed her right after Mikan came out from her body. And when Mikan got the Alice, it was the reason why Izumi followed Yuka in the afterlife. It was not like Mikan killed her own father. A mere infant without consciousness in the human world was always innocent, even if she possesses such an Alice.

It was horrible. It was horrible not to witness your daughter grew up. Missed the day when she first spoke, when she started walking. Missed every day when she shares her smiles. Never called you Mama, Mommy, Mother, or Okaa-san. Everything was horrible for Yuka and Izumi. But what was worse is that they gave all the burden to her. Now, Mikan holds the responsibility Yuka should have finished.

She raised her well. All by herself and with the help of some students from the Academy. She was trained for her life to have perfect control of her Alices. Her Alices that he inherited from Yuka and surprisingly, her father's Alice.

Mikan grew up cheerful despite the fact that she is parentless. She had all reasons to be like Natsume whose likes to be quiet all the time, isolated from almost all people, ignorant and anything else follows. But she didn't. She always likes to think positive. And she always wanted to smile, maybe because her friend and her onii-sans want her to. They like everything about Mikan except for the fact that the latter loves to get dirt all over her body because of playing with animals on the Southern Forest. She's too old to play with them; her closest friend always tells her that. Yes, she had a friend and she was in her age. The reason behind this is that the girl discovered her by accident in the woods while she was playing with her animal friends. And with that, Himemiya don't have any reason in denying Mikan's existence to her.

"You're not Mikan Sakura." disappointment was evident in Natsume's tone after hearing her confession. Mikan's confession about her identity wasn't such a big deal with him but the fact that they executed the oath insulted him a bit.

The brunette nodded her head slowly, fidgeting her fingers while pinning her eyes to them. "I'm so sorry. My real name is Mikan Azumi Yukihira."

"Tch." he uttered. "You're quite a liar Polka Dots, given that you have what you call your **oath**."

She felt guilt creeping inside her, wanting to defend herself. "No, I didn't lie. Mikan Sakura is my name also so I don't think I…lied."

Natsume looked at the defensive phantom princess and glared at her to make her feel very guilty. He doesn't really care if she was a Sakura or Yukihira. It was just a name, and he liked to call her Polka Dots more so, it was not important to him. He was kind of surprised why he doesn't feel angry with the thing. He just can't find any anger inside himself with the moment.

Mikan sweatdropped, because Natsume s already piercing her with his glares. He had no guts of fighting it because she wasn't good at glaring people. She gulped the lump that seemed to be occupying her throat and looked back low. "I-I thought you wanted to know something about me. S-so, just ask me and I promise I'll answer you faithfully." she said with much sincerity. She thought that would calm him, but hell no.

"Hn. How am I suppose to believe you if you already lied to me?" he barked at her.

She was caught off guard with what he said. She puffed her cheeks, gathered strength to face him. "I said I did not lied. I'm sorry if I had to keep my real name from you. I have reasons, Natsume. But now, I am ready to tell you everything you wanted to know about me."

He doubts while she is eager. Natsume shrugged the feeling off and tried to make the conversation work by doing what she wanted him to do: to ask her about herself. He wanted to clear things up first with her being the phantom princess.

"Do you know you are feared by the students back at the academy?" he said without any ado. He knew it was a bit harsh for she might take it the hard way.

"I do?" she asked innocently, placing a finger on her chin. "I was?" He just nodded plainly. "Why? Do I look one?"

Phew.

"What do you expect a person to react if they saw someone dressed in muddy white gown with ruffled and screwed up hair who was believed to be nesting inside a freaking clock tower?"

She puffed her cheek. Yes, she knows she's always dirty. But that doesn't mean she is not taking a bath like he thinks. "I'm sorry if I always look dirty. I can't resist playing with the animals in the forest. And I'm sorry if my hair is like a maze, it's just hard to control with all the length."

"You are playing with animals?" Somehow, it reminded him of Ruka who is fond of animals. So, he did not make a big deal out of it. But with the hair, "If you're having difficulty on handling your hair, then why don't you cut it?"

Mikan had thought of cutting her very long hair that almost touched the floor. But every time she does, it was like she losses all the will to cut it. Her hair is just too important to her. It's because of the simple fact that it reminds her of her mother.

"I love my hair. It reminds me of my mother." a small but sad smile suddenly crept to her face. Himemiya always tells her about her mother. And after knowing that she also has golden brown hair, she decided to keep it long because she considers it as her mother's gift to her. She gave her a beautiful colored hair.

Natsume suddenly felt guilt, seeing the brunette act like that. He was worrying for her again. And he knew it wasn't good. He never feels worried for anyone before except for his family and for Ruka. "Are you missing her?" he wasn't expecting such words from himself, but he thought that it would help her to feel better. He was kind of reminded with his mother, Kaoru. He hadn't seen her after he enrolled in the Academy.

She looked up at him with her auburn eyes, a bit disbelieving with what he said. He is so unpredictable. She smiled at him and began to open up. "Yes. A lot."

"Since when did you last saw each other?"

She cannot answer him, simply because she does not know how. But Mikan wanted to be faithful with every answer she will speak of. "I didn't have the chance to see her. My mother died after I was born." she chuckled.

Natsume is surprised with her answer. He is not expecting that her mother was already dead. Now he was regretting of bringing the topic up. "I'm…sorry." he almost said in whisper. He wasn't fond of apologizing. But he thought it won't really hurt if he'll try.

"No, it's okay. No hard feelings. I wanted to talk about her too."

"Since you said it, then we should."

Silence preoccupied the place before she shattered it. How will she start everything? "Uhm...Ever heard about the Stealing and Insertion Alice?" she said, cuddling her knees in front of her chest and embracing them together.

She has to ask him that. Not everyone knows about the two most powerful and dangerous Alice a person could have. The Stealing Alice and the Insertion Alice was a combo. The Stealing Alice gives the ability to drain or suck out another person's Alice completely or partially from his/her body, which sometimes leaves the victim in a state of weakness. Any Alice it has taken instantly forms into an Alice stone, where its size depends on how much power it has stolen. The power is potentially limitless as it steals Alices. While the Insertion Alice gives the user the ability to insert stolen Alices, including the user, granted as the Alices are compatible with the person.

"Hn. Never heard of them before." The fire caster is not aware of these Alices or any other ordinary person because after the Alices have been discovered, a certain prophecy appeared and told them that it would bring inequality between Alice users. It warns that the Stealing Alice and the Insertion Alice will cause derange and abuse of power.

"How about Nullification?" she asked, hoping it would be somewhat familiar to him since Izumi Yukihira is a personality in the Academy.

He thought of it, he knew there is someone who had that rare Alice. Then it reminded him of the former High School Principal, which according to some sources, suddenly vanished and disappeared without any reason. Even Ruka knows about him.

"Yeah. The former High School Principal had it, I guess." She giggled and rocked her body back and forth which made Natsume suspicious of her sudden actions. "What's so funny?"

She continued giggling. Reminiscing about her parents makes her happy even if she did not have the chance to meet them. "Was the former HSP, nice?"

Natsume lifted a brow. How was he supposed to know if he did not know him? He will just tell her what the gossips in the Academy told him. "I am not sure. But I think he was. I never heard anything bad at him before. When students talk about him, they always say he was good looking and happy go lucky. But when it comes to his duties, he had handled it well. I don't know. It was something like that." Since when did he become so talkative?

"Really, he was?" she sounded so interested so suddenly.

Natsume removed his back from leaning on the rocking chair and stood up, facing the Sakura Tree that he was staring at from the earlier time. "Why do you want to know about him?"

"Because…he is my father." she said with a smile.

After he heard her shocking statement, Natsume stopped and looked at her. "Father?"

She looked at him too, and then stood up slowly as the breeze slightly touches her white gown and making her hair move to the wind's direction. "Izumi Yukihira is my one and only father. If you can't believe me, make a fire."

He was confused. "What?"

"Come on. Just make a fire."

He did what she said. He slowly lifted his hands and casted a small fire above it. He waited for her actions. She looked at the fire seriously and gently lifted her hand towards the element, putting it between. He was surprised, but his face remained stoic as he tried to analyze her. She wasn't burning, she wasn't hurt. When Mikan balled her hand into fist, it was like his fire was absorbed by her hand and it was terminated.

"It's Nullification. I can nullify all kinds of Alices." she whispered.

He was star strucked. He never thought an Alice like that could exist. It was a defensive type of Alice. An Alice that could protect herself from anybody's Alice. An Alice he wished to have instead of a fire Alice. "An Alice that could protect."

Mikan felt a pang in her heart. She did not know why, but what he said was kind of nonsense. She don't know why she felt weird with his sentence. _An Alice that could protect. _"I-I'm not sure if I can protect someone with it. Be-Because if Nullification can, it could have saved my father from me." Small dots of tears formed inside her orbs, making her sight a bit blur. Mikan wiped it quickly; feeling embarrassed in front of the speechless and confused Natsume.

"Stop that." Natsume can see how hurt she was, even if he don't know what happened to her parents. He feels somewhat pity for her. He wanted to help her and he knows a way. "I said stop that."

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying in front of you. I feel so embarrassed." she kept wiping her tears off but it was like endless.

He tched. "What are you embarrassed for? You already cried in front of me before." he smirked and grabbed her hand away from her face. "Let them flow. That will make you feel better."

She looked at him in the eyes. Her crimson eyes weren't so scary as she found them at first. Her blood seems to rush on her cheeks and her heart appeared to beat faster. But she don't mind, she wanted to cry. She wanted to cry for her parents. With tears still flowing down her cheeks, which made her look so cute, she just found herself burying her face into Natsume's chest.

Surprised with her actions, he was stiffened. He looked away from her but did not pull her away. He let her lean and drain all the sadness from inside of her. He let the wind caress her because he can't to do by himself.

"Tell me everything about them." he said with the same voice, trying to not to sound too concerned. "Let me know about them, so I can understand you."

Sniffing, Mikan slowly removed herself from the raven head fire caster. Looking away and still blushing, she wiped her face dry because the tears she thought was endless was now gone. She sat again to the floor, but it was only her feet that touched the ground. Silence overpowered the place because Mikan felt so shy at the moment. No words came out from her mouth. So it was Natsume who then broke the silence for this time.

"You're a multiple Alice user." Natsume said, taking the seat back to the rocking chair.

"U-Uhm. yes. I had Teleportation and Nullification."

"Lucky." he murmured. "I would rather have Alices like you than what I had now."

Mikan looked at him, wondering why he would say such a thing. "Why? Don't you like your Alice?"

He shook. "Who would want an Alice that could harm other people?" it sounded like a statement. His head leans on the back part of the rocking chair and started to rock it.

She just lowered her head. _He still doesn't know much about me. What could be his reaction if he knew how dangerous I am? _"You would take your word back." Mikan murmured. Her voice was soft but loud enough for him to hear.

It made him turn to her once more. "Why?"

Taking a deep breath, she clutched her gown with her hands. "Remember the Stealing and Insertion Alices I told you earlier?"

Natsume hned as a yes.

"Those two Alices were a legend." Mikan started to narrate to Natsume the origin of the Alices. "Just as it is, the Stealing Alice enables the user to steal other Alices from people. With that, the user can take a power that he or she doesn't have originally. On the other hand, the Insertion Alice lets the user insert the Alice that he or she stole so that he or she could use it and own it."

"Never heard of such Alices. It would be unfair if someone will be able to possess such." Natsume commented.

The brunette sighed, she knows. "Yes, it was really unfair. That is why they were considered as a threat that will bring derange in the Alice world."

The legend Mikan shared was quite familiar with Natsume. It took a minute after he realized something. "I knew that legend." he muttered with serious voice. How could he not remember the most controversial legends? "But I don't know that the legend was about the two most dangerous Alices." he shrugged his shoulders. "Hn. There's nothing to worry about. They are just myths,

Himemiya was right. No one knew about the reality about the legend. And she was glad that it was kept hidden so it could not get the attention of people, just to prevent further more problems. "Natsume." she called his name with her sweet voice, but pure of seriousness.

"The Alices were true." After gulping the lump in her throat, she continued to confess. "I bear the Alices."

* * *

Meanwhile back in the Academy, there is a raven haired girl who cannot sleep in the night. She kept tossing on her bed, already taken sleeping pills but it did not work. Something is bogging her peace and she knew very well who causes it. She sat on her bed with her pajamas, and later on removed the purple blanket that covered her body.

"That dummy." she muttered while sitting on the toilet bowl.

* * *

She moved closer as she kept poking him when suddenly he went stiff after confessing a very confidential matter. She began to feel nervous, her eyes started to make tears for once more. "Natsume." she whispered in the air, gesturing her hand to reach him, but the guy avoids it by taking steps backward.

"Why…" she tried to reach for him, but like what he did, he just took steps backward and ran away. "Natsume." she called out to him, while watching his retreating figure. "Stupid Natsume, he cannot go back with just running away." Did he forget already that they used a special key Alice to enter? If he wanted to go back to the Academy, he also has to use the Alice. Mikan inserted the same type of Alice to him the time they held hands together before they appear at her house. She was supposed to tell him but unfortunately, she wasn't able to because he ran away from her and not letting her tell him that she inserted an Alice to his body so he could visit her if she wanted to. But now, it's like it will never happen because of how Natsume reacted towards her.

The brunette took a deep breath as she clasped her hands together and positioned it in front of her chest. Mikan closed her eyes and focused, until such time that she opened it again and tears flow from them.

Mikan never thought Natsume will run away after knowing that she had the most sought after and dangerous Alices. Was he afraid? Maybe he hates her now. The phantom princess tried to find a reason in her mind why did he react that way. Is it because she suddenly became dangerous? Was he thinking that she will suck out his Alice and make him powerless? Why will she do that? Maybe he's just surprised. Mikan doesn't know, but she wanted to see him again and know it by herself.

* * *

Dear Readers;

It's been a long time guys. I'm sorry if it took this long for me to update and I do hope you understand. And since its sem break, i'm two weeks free from school! BTW, thank u so much for those who follows my story. God bless my dear readers! Oh please, do drop a review:) every author wants to know their reader's comments or whatsoever. Please, no flames:)

Hey check out the cover photo for Phantom Princess. I was the one who drew it. Hmm, its a lot different from the original on the paper and the scan..it looked like a mess but, for me, it's still nice. hehe

Thanks much for those who gave efforts to write down a review. i really appreciate it.

Try reading my first oneshot. just visit my profile and see my stories. hehe..if u only want:)


	4. Let us welcome the new student

I disclaim Gakuen Alice.

**THE FOURTH CHAPTER**

**LET US WELCOME THE NEW STUDENT**

"_I had a mannerism that when the first day of class comes, I'll end up going home or been appointed into a clinic because I always get dizzy because of homesickness." - mannequin GF_

It's a windy day. The flowers and grasses keeps on swaying like they are dancing before the phantom princess. Bees and bugs are fluttering around in the air surrounding her, while she reaches for them even though she knew they're unreachable. Her long golden brown hair was tied in a braid and wears a summer hat which has intricate designed laces in it. She was sitting on the grass while her silky pink gown spreads around her. The big bow on the back of her waist has excess laces which freely touches the ground. She put down her gloved hand and caressed some dandelions that when touched, the tiny powder like petals flew away and danced with the breeze.

She doesn't look like a phantom but a princess. Something that an artist would like to capture, for every beauty and purity was enveloped in each of her smiles. No one ever wanted to disturb her peaceful picture. But poor Subaru had to interrupt her princess because it was almost time to go.

"Mikan. I'm afraid we have to get going. She is waiting at the entrance of the forest." He did not yelled, but just enough volume she could hear.

Subaru Imai is a former student in Alice Academy. He was now working as a doctor in the Academy's hospital and is the head. He possesses the Alice of Healing and Pain which allows him to cure certain illness of a person or an animal and transfer it to the same kind. He was the cause of all healed injuries of Mikan when she acquires some from playing.

She looked sadly on the dandelions which were now bald but smiled. "We'll be not seeing each other for long. I'll be missing you." she whispered like the flowers could hear her. She looked up and blinded by the sun and stood up. She took up the long skirt of her gown and took steps towards her waiting senpai, somehow letting the latter saw that she does not wear any shoes.

Arranging his glasses, Subaru questioned her. "Where are your shoes?"

Mikan blushed with embarrassment and bit her gloved finger, looking away. "I'm sorry, senpai. I forgot where I left it." She pointed to the grassy ground where she came from. "I took them off at the meadow."

Subaru took her chin and make her look up, seeing his smiling face. "Don't worry. I'll get them for you." He said then headed to the grasses to search for the missing shoes. He left the mallet with Mikan.

Mikan looked up at her little house, wanting to bid farewell but shed a tear instead. She said all she wanted to say in her mind and kept it inaudible. She smiled and wiped the tear away, exactly when Subaru came and handed her the pink doll shoes. He placed it near Mikan's bare feet and the little princess lifted her skirt a bit, giving the grown up lad the privilege to wear them to her himself.

"Arigatou, senpai." she said.

He stood up straight and smirked. "Please let us go."

She held his senpai's bare hand and holds it tightly. "Here goes." And when she closed her eyes, a glowing bright white light surrounded them and they gone disappear. It was like clockwork. They just appeared before a raven haired gal with cold and bored amethyst eyes wearing blue pleated skirt and long sleeved attire with blue lace tied in the collar.

"HOTARU!" The brunette scurried and opened her arms wide to hug her best friend which the latter gladly accepted. Mikan rubbed her cheek to Hotaru's and told her how much she missed her. She had forgotten the fact that Hotaru visited her only a day ago after the night Natsume left.

Hotaru Imai, a middle school student, one of the holders of the special star ranking. She has the Alice of Invention which allows her to create magnificent and incredible gadgets. Her creations started to be distributed all over the country when she was still an elementary student, and now that she is a middle schooler, her inventions were limitedly sold in other Asian and American countries.

Hotaru accidentally met Mikan in the forest while the latter is playing with some animals. Hotaru had some business with a certain Animal Pheromone Alice but led her to discovering the Phantom Princess. Shocked and intrigued with her existence, she befriended her but further loved her as a sister. She is not even aware that Mikan got close to her and the closest among all of her other classmates back at the Academy. And because of their built relationship, Himemiya did not bother to cut it and found it as an advantage so that Mikan will not grow old alone.

She pinned her bored eyes to his brother, Subaru Imai, and let the brunette hug her until satisfaction but she didn't hugged back. "What's taking you so long?"

"Gomen, Hotaru." it was Mikan who replied to her question. "I lost my shoes on the meadow and Onii-san searched them for me. I'm sorry."

Finding the reason valid enough, Hotaru rolled her eyes and broke the brunette's hug. She turned her back to both of them and said, "Let's get going. It's near late." she coldly said.

Mikan nodded and got her mallet, assisting her long pink silky skirt and held her hat to avoid it from getting off by the wind. She looked back at the spectacled man and bid goodbye, giving him a sweet smile before finally disappearing with Hotaru.

In the midst towards the famous Hanahime Mansion, Mikan and Hotaru was riding in an animal car which Hotaru invented. The mobile is moving slow through a meadow routing to the mansion. The sun does not strikes so hard but the wind kept swaying thin bodies of grasses and stems, and Mikan having the trouble her hat is causing her. But Hotaru just watches her enjoyably.

"Are you sure of this?" Doubt is evident in Hotaru's tone as she asked the brunette beside her. Mikan puffed her cheeks while keeping her hat in still, which made her really cute. "Why? Don't you want me here?" she asked for a reply.

Hotaru just rolled her eyes like before and did not answer her. In actuality, Hotaru is glad of the sudden enrollment of Mikan to the Academy. But she doubts on the fact why did Himemiya let her appear in front of other people when all her life, she was hidden and kept?

"I know it's kind of a sudden. It was a joke that Hi-sama unbelievably granted true." she told.

Hotaru's eyebrows met, having no clue on the statement, gave Mikan a questioning look. "When Hi-sama brought me dinner, we had a little talk. And when I joked her that I wanted to enroll in the Academy, she said why not." She bit her lip. "It was strange."

"Of course it was strange." Hotaru said in flat tone. "Why do you think?"

Mikan looked at Hotaru and removed her attention in her stupid hat. "I don't know. She became loose when I met Natsume."

"You, dummy. If I didn't saw it myself that you are with him that night, you won't tell it yourself." Hotaru scolded with a vein popped on her head but facial expression is as flat as a paper.

Mikan chuckled nervously, chuckling. "I'm innocent!" she defended herself. "But, how did you knew him?"

"A classmate." she plainly replied.

"How's he as a classmate?" she asked, curious.

"He's a grey area." she answered, uninterested. "Popular in school, special star ranked, and has a cold shoulder to anyone except his best friend."

Mikan paused. Is Hotaru defining herself or something like that? She chuckled, realizing that Natsume and Hotaru really had the same traits as a person. And her chuckle burst into fine laughter and blushes after concluding that she is fond of stoic and deep persons.

Hotaru got pissed with her laughing, she didn't even joked. With bored and chibi figure, she let out her Baka gun and aimed it to Mikan. "What's so funny?"

Mikan was almost teary eyed when she controlled herself or else, she'll be shot by Hotaru's gun. She'd been shot before that's why she had the idea of how it feels when shot by it and believe it, she doesn't wanted to feel it again. She wiped her wet eyes and said, "Nothing. Nothing, I just remembered something hilarious."

Hotaru rolled her amethyst eyes and hid her gun. "Oh, I thought you wanted to fly to the mansion yourself." she paused and maneuvered the wheel of the car. "Prepare yourself, we're almost here."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Natsume Hyuuga let out a sigh, and it's for the nth time now. He ditched his first class and went to his Citrus tree at the back of the Middle School Building. In his elementary days, he would suppose to rest under a Sakura tree but since he graduated from elementary, travelling from the Middle School Building to the Elementary building just to take a rest at the Sakura Tree would be bothersome. So he looked for a replacement tree nearer from his current building and luckily found an alienated Citrus tree. It looked very odd because it was separated from all other trees around. But he found it as an advantage so he could easily determine his tree out.

He had his back leaned from its robust trunk while his arms are crossed at the back of his head for support. His legs are also crossed right above left and his crimson flare eyes are pinned to the calm sky. The strong wind keep blowing his hair which makes him look cooler than ever. His whole picture was calm and peaceful just like his mind.

Just two days before, he was with the infamous Phantom Princess. But now, it was like as if he forgotten all about her. After he left her alone, going back never landed his mind. Though he doesn't know the very reason why did he react like that In the first place. Knowing that she is a child of Izumi Yukihira and possesses the most harmful Alices ever existed, the primary thing that he got in mind is that he met a very dangerous person, though it is not evident in her sweet and friendly feature. Natsume was just shocked. Someone so composed like him could sometimes act careless of course. Nobody's perfect after all.

A reason why Natsume didn't think of going back is that, he doesn't know how he'll face her. When he left her alone, he saw her piteous as if mentally saying to him not to leave him and stay. But what did he do? He ran away from her like she was a hideous and terrible monster. He admits that what he did was horrible, given that all she did was pure kindness to him. She even made him smile. He just doesn't know what to do in front of her. She might be mad, or upset.

"Ruka." He coldly muttered when Ruka suddenly appeared before him, panting.

"Natsume!" He greeted, a bit worried and scared.

Natsume stood up straight and dusted his pants, walking closer to the blue eyed blonde. "How'd you found me?"

"Well, I should thank those fan girls for bringing me here. They were after me again and I just ran where my feet will take me and luckily, they led me to you." He said between breaths. Natsume smirked, "Tch."

"How did you know I was looking for you?" Ruka said after catching up his breath and got to Natsume's side as they began to retreat the area.

"You always do when I ditch class. Seriously, Ruka, you never changed." he said, smirking.

Ruka exchanged smirks while scratching the back of his head. "Gee, I am not aware." He chuckled afterwards and then Natsume joined him.

Ruka Nogi, he is Natsume's best friend ever since the world knows. He had ocean blue eyes and blonde hair. Ruka is half French and half Japanese, having a gentle and pleasant personality that balances that of Natsume's. He is a Somatic Class student since he possesses the Animal Pheromone Alice and a Triple Star student. Ruka would've been a special rank if it weren't because of himself.

When he was given the special rank, he did something for the higher ups to retrieve back a star, making him a Triple star student again. In actuality, Ruka doesn't care about the star ranking. He rather wanted to be a No star, believing that he doesn't deserve a Triple one. But because the ranking affects the allowance and his living inside the Academy, Natsume persuaded him to let him stay as Triple.

* * *

"Gimme that!"

"Come and get it!"

"Ohayo, Natsume-kun!"

"Look at my cupcake! It's dancing!"

"Great work, Anna-chan!"

"Do you know where Imai-san went?"

Different ranges, pitches and tones of voices are mixing inside the room of Class B. It is where the class Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru belongs. A class full of varied personalities: geniuses up to morons, geeks and dorks to snobbish and chicks, stoics to stupids.

The students are having a riot after Serina Yamada's class was dismissed. Some are running after each other, some are teasing fellow students, some are trying to catch somebody's attention, some are using their Alices to kill time, some are searching for someone who isn't present at the moment and some are just ignoring the whole thing around. But the noisy crowd was interrupted by the class' homeroom teacher, none other than the famous blonde teacher, Narumi Anju.

Narumi has amethyst eyes just like Hotaru's, but looks livelier than her. His blonde hair extends up to his shoulder and was curled in a pretty way. He usually wears wardrobe with ruffles in it that basically makes him look like a gay or something but he really is a true man.

He twirled and twirled until he reaches the teacher's desk in the middle of the wooden platform in front of the class while exclaiming his greetings. "Ohayo gozai masu! It's such a windy day, ne class?" He plastered a warm smile at the class while pink puffing imaginary hearts scattered around him. Others welcomed him by greeting him back, but for others like Natsume, he just rolled his eyes and shrugs him with ignorance. While Ruka beside him stayed as quiet as he can.

"Why don't we start the day with a good news?" Narumi said in excitement. "Just this morning, I met a beautiful lady. She is nice, kind and sweet. I bet you guys will definitely like her."

"Yay! A girl!" someone from the crowd exclaimed.

"Yes, it's a she." Narumi chuckled.

"So, that is the good news?" a green haired girl with emerald eyes and whose ends of hair were elegantly permed at the end. She is called Sumire Shouda, the President of the Natsume-Ruka fan club. She's been the President since elementary and does not have any plans in retiring.

Narumi lifted a brow. "Well, the good news is…she's going to be your classmate!" Popping of party poppers was heard and confetti comes from everywhere as Narumi celebrates with the half of the class.

While they are celebrating, Natsume and Ruka just ignored the whole thing. They don't care if someone will add into the class' population or if it was a girl or not. Just right now, Natsume regrets of him attending the blonde's class even if he knew he will just blabber about something in minutes and will give the class a break which was actually the dismissal itself. Natsume looked away and gazed at the view framed in the window.

"Are you excited about it?" A big and cheerful "YES" was heard and not in a moment, Narumi spoke. "Imai-san, you can go in."

"She's with Hotaru-san?" a pink haired girl called Anna Umenomiya said in doubt. "So that's the reason why she's not in our first class."

As Narumi told Hotaru to get in, she entered the class in her usual middle school uniform but she was holding someone's hands when she got in, a gloved hand in particular. "Hey dummy, get inside." Hotaru murmured to the new student.

"Sorry, Hotaru. I stepped on my skirt." the girl whispered.

The class was oh so silent as a pretty girl came in who wears a cute pink silky gown with a big ribbon on the back of her waist. Her long brown hair is braided as it extend up to her leg. To complete her country princess girl figure, a nice pink hat is on her head covering her undiscovered face. Gloved hands and doll shoed.

The new girl is bowing her head low while walking towards the platform which makes the class excited on how she looks. Majority of the population's jaws were almost dropped and some stares amusingly at her. All of their reactions were predictable but for someone. The ever stoic and expressionless Natsume Hyuuga looked so nervous and his eyes were widened. His hands were clenched and laid flat on his desk as if waiting for the new student to show her face whose features looked so familiar.

_Could it be that she's her? _He shook. _It's impossible. She is bound to step the premises of the Academy. But who could have that long brown hair other than her? And that dress…she always wear those same kind of dresses. No…It couldn't be._

"Natsume?" Ruka was worried with his best friend's action. He doesn't have these reactions towards other people. Could it be because he's feeling weird with the weird new student?

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Narumi told the girl with a warm smile.

"Ohayo." Slowly, her head lifts up, showing her face from chin to her chocolate eyes. "Watashi wa Sakura Mikan." she smiled at the crowd, which made a lot of guys in the room faint.

_It really is her. What is she doing here? _

Mikan looked around, hoping to find a guy whom she met in the clock tower. Someone who she told her secrets with, someone who she had the moon oath with, someone who walked out away from her twice. She searched for the first row, the second row, the third row, the fourth and at the fifth. And she found him on the fifth row, and saw him looking so scared and nervous. "Nat…" Before she even muttered his name, Narumi caught her attention.

"Why, Mikan-chan looked so moe!" he said.

"M-Moe?" Mikan curiously asked.

Narumi nodded childishly. "Now you can go to your seat. There at the fourth row at the left."

_But Natsume is at the fifth row at the right. _

Somehow, Natsume and Mikan should be thankful for someone called Kokoroyome wears his control device. Because if not, he would have known that they already know each other and could lead into much trouble.

Hotaru escorted Mikan towards her new seat which was just beside hers. As they go farther and farther from the front, as well as they gather more and more gazes particularly for the brunette. Even the snobbish Sumire hadn't got anything to say with her cuteness. Poor Sumire, she had another rival towards Natsume's affection.

Mikan stared at Natsume and didn't put away her eyes of him. She had those lonely eyes, having the thought that Natsume might really hate her now. She tried to capture his crimson ones but he kept looking away at her and had that face of i-don't-care. At least for the fire caster, he had managed to compose himself after he got shocked when he realized it was really her, the idiot Polka Dots.

"Okay! I'm giving you an early break, I just have some appointment at my office so…" he chuckled. "Just enjoy the break everybody!" With that, he scurried away and disappeared.

As students already knew that it was dismissal, curious students went to Mikan's chair and encircled her, ready to interrogate the newbie. And as for Mikan who sweat drops at the moment, she welcomed them with kindness. She let them sit near her and gave them a smile. Hotaru just stayed beside her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan! My, my! What a pretty dress you have!" The known twin sisters of the class greeted in unison. "I'm Anna Umenomiya!" said a pink haired girl. "And I'm Nonoko Ogasawara!" said the dark blue haired girl.

Mikan nodded. "Nice to meet you, Umenomiya-san, Ogasawara-san!" she replied cheerfully. "I still don't have my uniform so they permitted me to wear my own clothes."

"Oh, we see. " The twins giggled. "Please just call us in our first names."

"Uhm, sure." Mikan chuckled. "Please call me at my first name too."

"No worries!"

"We want to introduce our classmates to you, Mikan-chan!" The twins exclaimed in unison.

"He's Tobita Yuu!" Anna said, pulling a shy blonde with glasses near. "He's our class representative when we are in elementary. He was supposed to be a special ranked student but he decided to trade it for being the Student Council member instead, isn't it wonderful?"

"Wow, that's very nice of you, Yuu." Mikan giggled.

"So there's Kokoroyome, the blonde guy with a smiling face. He's known as Koko for short." Nonoko pointed as Koko smiled nicely at her. "The other blonde beside him is Kitsuneme! And the nearly bald guy over there is Mochiage."

"It's great to have them as classmates." the brunette gladly said.

"Yes. The silver haired girl was Yura Otonashi." Anna said. "The short haired girl there is Wakako and the green haired girl with her is Sumire Shouda."

"They're pretty." Mikan said which made Hotaru frown.

"Of course we were." Sumire snobbishly said while walking towards Mikan and the others with hands on her waist. "So, Mikan Sakura isn't it?" she asked.

"Uhm, Yes." Mikan answered.

"Doozo yoroshiku. Again, I am Sumire Shouda. The President of the Natsume-Ruka fanclub." she introduced with pride. She held her hand out for a shake.

"Yeah, the self proclaimed whatever it is." Koko cracked that made the others laugh. Sumire's head became hot because of embarrassment as she yelled at Koko. "Bite your tongue, mind reader!"

Mikan can't help it but sweat drop and just shook hands with her. "What's it again? The club who?"

Sumire laughed with her question. She had her hand on her chin and bursted evilly, something like that. "You don't know?"

"I-I don't."

"That's good." Sumire turned around and waved her hand. Since Mikan said she didn't know, Sumire had been thinking that she's safe with something she was the only one who knows. After all, sometimes, Sumire was the only person who can understand herself. "Well, it's such a great opportunity to be your classmate, Mikan Sakura." Once again, she laughed that way while retreating.

The whole group of people was left dumbfounded. They just watched her leave with Wakako peacefully before Mikan broke the silence. "What's with her?"

"Don't mind her, Mikan-chan. Sumire's always like that. Right, Anna-chan?" Nonoko turned to Anna and made a high five then giggled.

"Years ago, Shouda-san proclaimed herself as Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun's fanclub." Yuu explained.

"Oh yes, how could we forget?" Anna suddenly said while she laid her index finger on her lip. "Two of the most popular and sought after guys in the whole Academy can be found here in Class B."

"One of them is Nogi Ruka-kun. The blonde one with blue eyes, isn't he the dreamiest?" Nonoko's eyes turned into pink hearts as she showed her admiration towards the blonde prince. "And the other guy beside him who reads a manga is no other than Hyuuga Natsume-kun."

Hearing his name pounded her heart and bore a hole in it. She gazed towards where Nonoko's finger is pointing, towards somebody who had a stoic face who seems like is mentally saying to her that he doesn't care if she showed up. A face that says to her that he had already forgotten everything about her.

She waited for his response, and somehow hoping he would at least recognize her. She had her hopes up, for somehow she believes in the Natsume she met in the tower and the Natsume she brought to her house. She even put up a weak smile at him, while Hotaru just watches the fire caster and ready to shoot him with her Baka gun if ever he did something stupid.

He diverted his eyes from his manga to the group of people who had their eyes pinned to him, waiting for any response or whatever. He looked at the new student and saw her smile. But that smile made him guiltier of what he did to her that night. He hurriedly looked away and stood up. "Let's go, Ruka." He got his manga with him and walked before Ruka and headed for the door where he had to pass in Mikan's seat before finally leaving the room. Natsume composed himself and tried not to look at her and he was successful, while Ruka told Mikan that he was glad to meet her before finally disappearing with Natsume.

It was hurtful. She was ignored. She pulled herself close together and forced a sly smile at Ruka and nodded. She can feel the warning that her tears wanted to escape from his eyes. But that was just childish and Hotaru wouldn't be happy if she cried right now. She would just make things complicated if she cried for a narrow reason.

"Nah, don't mind him. He's always like that believe me. You don't have to worry, Mikan-chan. He's not mad at you or anything." Anna comforted.

Mikan looked up and smiled. "Really? Then I guess there's nothing to be worried of."

"Uh-huh." Anna nodded. "Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun had many differences with each other. And yet, they're still together for almost all of their lives. Both balance each other's attitude out that's why they lasted as friends. I really am a fan of their friendship."

"Enough about them." Nonoko interrupted. "They are always the main topic in every girl in the Academy. Let's just enjoy our time with Mikan-chan here."

_Interesting._

"I'm so sorry, I got carried away. He he." Anna apologized and easily recovered. "So, Mikan-chan! Can we ask you some questions?" Nonoko and Yuu agreed as they nodded and smiled altogether.

"Of course!" Mikan rejoiced, putting Natsume's case aside. After all, she doesn't want the new chapter of her life focused to somebody who doesn't want her to be a part of it. Being a student in Alice Academy makes her feel like any other normal person. It makes her like a free spirit and just now, she feels so excited to meet these good people and other people. She wanted to roam around the areas that she was bound to step, like the famous Central Town because believe it or not, with her thirteen years at the Academy, she's never been in the Central Town.

"So, what's your Alice, Mikan-chan?"

* * *

An update!

Thank you for reading this story.

Forgive me for updating slow:)

Leave a review :)


End file.
